What I Will Remember Of Mosul

What I will remember will differ across time. It is about 20 days since I came from Mosul. The most clear thing to remember is some peole. The tea time with my friend, the neurosurgeon, at 4 p.m. with the ieces of candies and pasteries he brought from his home to me. I will always remember how he used to call me: ghouhi mnil dini...which means (my soul in this life), or (you are my soul in this life)..He said that in a very characteristic way of Mosuli accent by replacing the R sound into a sound of GH, like in the french language of paris.

I will never forget the 2 doctors of pediatrics who trained me to play ping pong and kept defeating me. Both of them were energetic and full of zeal. They were two men to learn from their style of living.

I will remember the vingar smell in AL NAJAFI street were they sell books and olives in vingar. I will remember the old quarters of old Mosul which am afraid will be modernized in the coming years.

I will remember shopping with that kind man, Dr. Wisam, and our long walks across Mosul markets.

I will remember that I did not see Mosul in peace. I saw Mosul in war. But despite of that it was so lovely. How wonderful will it be when peace will come back some day?

I will remember some few dogmatic peole, angry on most of the things. Will they get some wosdom and tranquillity?

I will remember that I heared daily many cries for prayer and many treachings through loudspeakers of mosques, while the churches were not that active due to some threats, and some churches (I saw one, they say it was 5) having signs of being hitten by an explosion, with their windows broken, and walls got some broken pieces and black tar.

I will remember I did not hear a piece of Mosuli Music. Will we have some other Othman El Mosuli playing us some Takaseem (=arpeches) on his Oud?